Thill-coupling



(No Model.)

N. SOHENKEL.

THILL COUPLING.

.No. 340,821. Patented Apr. 27, 1886.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NICKOLAS SOHENKEL, OF ALLEGHENY CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 340,821, dated April 27, 1886.

Application filed June 8, 1885. Serial No. 167,967.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NIOKOLAS SOHENKEL, of Allegheny City, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Anti-Battling Devices for Thin-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention is designed to prevent the usual disagreeable noise and rattling in the couplings of vehicle thills. There is considerable wear upon the bearing of the thill on the bolt which holds it to the axle, and, how ever securely it has heretofore been fitted, it has been found that the thill-eye is liable to wear loose and to rattle. Rubber plugs, in serted between the back end of the thill and the axle, have been used to hold the parts in place and to take up the lost motion; but this, together with other analogous devices, has proved ineflicacious and unsatisfactory.

I will now describe myinvention more particularly with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved thill-coupling, affixed by a clip to the front axle, the latter being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section on the line as a; of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 1. Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views of a part. Fig. 6 is a plan view, and Fig. 7 a side view,of the part markeda in Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a vertical axial section on the line 3 y of Fig. 6.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts.

In the drawings, 12 represents avehicle-axle; c, ashackle,which is made integral \vitha clip, cl, the latter being secured to the axle by bolts and nuts e. The shackle has two arms or branches, between which the end of the thill f is arranged. The thill is confined in the shackle by a bolt, g, which traverses holes in the shackle-arms, and a transverse eye at the end of the thill. The bolt 9 is held by a nut, h, in the usual manner. As thus described, there is nothing novel in the device, and such arrangement partakes of all the disadvantages hereinbefore enumerated.

My invention chiefly consists in the interposition of bushes or washers a, of peculiar construction, between the thill and the arms of the shackle, which will serve to fill these (N0 model.)

consequence is, that when the bushes are adjnsted between the thill and shackle-arms,and the nut h tightened upon the bolt it will compress these arms upon the bushes, thereby causing the latter to sink or wedge themselves into their recesses, which then act as seats, and to completely fill the spaces between the arms and thill. If, now, the friction of the parts should cause them to wear loose and rattle, this may be prevented by again screwing up the nut h and bringing the parts into contact. In order to enable the bushes to be thus retightened after wearing loose, they should be made of greater diameter at their widest point than the diameter of the countersunk seats,as shown in Fig. 2. In putting these parts together the proper manner is to spread the shackle-arms, and after interposing the thill and bushes to allow the arms to spring together on them; or the shacklearms may be spread and forced together after the thill and bushes are inserted, the union being made perfect by the pressure of the nut and bolt.

A very important addition to my improvement consists in splitting or dividing the periphery of the bush a by a lateral slot, (1, the function of which is to permit compression of the bush itself, and to cause it to yield somewhat when thenut h is screwed up. Another function of this slot is to prevent the expansive action of heat upon the parts from straining them. The slot allows the bush to be compressed, thereby taking up such expansion and avoiding the friction which would otherwise be caused. The purpose of making the bush with a double conical face is to take up wear upon either side of it, and also to form a hearing between the shacklearms and the thill, which arrangement relieves the strain from the bolt 9, owing to the bush a being counterioo sunk both in the thill, on both sides of the same, and in both of the shackle-arms.

I have mentioned the fact that the widest diameter of the bushes a is somewhat larger than the diameter of the countersunk seats, the purpose of which is to enable the shackle arms and the thill to be tightened upon the bush without bringing them into contact.

It is desirable that the difference in diameters be as small as possible, for the larger it be the wider apart will the shacklearms and thill be separated, and a less neat joint made between them. A wider diameter has, however, the advantage that the washer can be used for a longer time without replacing.

Thus constructed, my improved device has many advantages. in its operation, and is easy and cheap in manufacture. When it is used, it is practically impossible for the thill to rattle.

The bushes may be made of iron, wood, or any other material suitable for the purpose.

The deviceshown in Fig. 4. is an addition to my improvement, designed to protect the parts from dirt and take the strain of traction off from the thill-bolt g. It consists of a stem or block, 2', one face of which is curved, and

is set at the end of the thill, so that the latter may have a bearing against the concave face. The back of the block bears against the clip d, its sides are inclosed by the shackles c, and it has an expanded cap or cover, j, and base 7;, which are suitably curved to inclose and fit neatly upon the top and bottom of the thilleye. (See Fig. 1.) WVhen this block is used, the clip (Z is preferably so set on the axle that the shackle-arms c are directed toward the It is simple and effective rear of the vehicle-body. The thill is then recurved over the back of the axle and coupling toward the main part of the shaft, and as the vehicle is drawn the strain of traction will be exerted against the back of the axle, and will push the end of the thill against the curved face of the block 2'. The result is, that much of the strain is taken from the bolt g and put upon the block and axle, and the parts are more perfectly protected from wear and rattling.

I am aware of Letters Patent Nos. 306,277, 262, 741, and 162,544, granted to K. K. Parker, J. M. Collins, andD. E. Franklin, respectively, and disclaim the constructions of devices or any of them shown therein.

That I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination of a thill, having an eye for connecting the thill with the shackle, the thill-eye being recessed or countersunk at both of its termini, a shackle having arms inclosing the thill, both of said arms being recessed or countersunk interiorly and opposite to the recesses of the thil1-cye, and bushes or washers, each of which is shaped in the form of two cones having their bases in conjunction, interposed between the thill and each of the shackle-arms and between the countersunk rccesses thereof, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of May, A. D. 1885.

NICKOLAS SOHENKEL.

Vii-messes:

W. B. OoawrN, THOMAS W. BAunwnLL. 

